Wanted
by TombRaiderNinja
Summary: A knight with incredible strength, A thief with hands fast as lightning, An assassin with an icy stare, And a blacksmith ruled by a fiery blade. This is the new reality Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon is flung into, leaving him in the hands of a slithery king. Rated T for Violence.
1. New Reality

Chapter 1-New Reality

Feeling the warm sun against his shuddering eyelids, Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon opened his mouth to welcome a yawn. He stretched his muscled body, flinching at the soreness he'd gained after his battle with the overlord. As his brain began the slow process of awakening, The green ninja opened his emerald green eyes and stared at the bright blue sky opening before him. There was a soft breeze, cool enough to raise a light wave of goose bumps across his skin. Tree branches filled with brightly colored leaves leaned in and out of his vision.

Lloyd blinked once. Twice. He forced his eyes shut then open, yet the scenery before him did not change. He tracked his memories and remembered beating the overlord the day before, staying up rather late celebrating with the ninja and his reunited family. He remembered falling asleep in the cheap apartment that they'd rented in Ninjago city with an uncomfortable mattress holding up his exhausted body. He looked the memories of the day before through every possible angle but nothing led to answering why he was currently laying against the hard cold ground in the middle of a forest.

"Ah, Sleeping beauty awakens!"

The green ninja jumped into a sitting position and looked for the source of the familiar voice. Sitting across from him was a brown haired man with bright blue eyes. His body was dressed in brown leather, both his jacket and pants overwhelmed by a crazy amount of unnecessary pockets. Strapped to his belt were a pair of golden nunchucks, which were covered in beautifully carved images of dragons.

"Jay?" Lloyd's body relaxed a bit. At least he wasn't alone here.

"I'd rather go by James but whatever floats your boat." Jay laughed. "It's James Jay Walker otherwise known as the guy that saved you from being beheaded ."

"Beheaded?" The green ninja's mind spun with confussion.

"Yes by King Pythor you clay-brained fool. "Jay rolled his eyes. He pulled out a folded paper from one of his thousand pockets and threw it at Lloyd. "Maybe this'll refresh your mind."

Lloyd unfolded the yellow parchment. A crude drawing of his face stared back at him. Below the image, written in large black letters, it read, '_Wanted: Treason, Murder, Theft. Bounty 100,000 gold coins'_

"With that bounty on your head I'd be surprised if there's anyone who ain't lookin' for you." Jay said, sending chills up Lloyd's spine. He didn't even know where he was and someone already wanted him dead. "But me? I don't got any place for a bounty that large. 'Sides us fugitives gotta stick together, even though I don't feel too comfortable with the whole 'Murder' part."

"I'm not a murderer." Lloyd responded. "I don't even know where I am."

"You're in the forest you ninny." Jay shook his head. "And here I was thinking I'd finally gotten myself a smart partner. Everyone always turns out to be a blitherin' idiot though."

"I meant. . . Nevermind"

"Yeah I won't mind. Though what I do mind is who you killed. I mean if you were gonna go ahead and kill someone, you might've at least tried to kill King Pythor. He ain't nowhere near dead though, I saw him at what was supposed to be your execution sittin' at his throne feelin' all high and mighty."

" I didn't kill anyone," Lloyd insisted. "I'm not even from here. I'm a ninja from Ninjago city. You know, one of the ones that saved the city? From the overlord?"

"Saved the city? Sure buddy"

"I _did _don't you recognize me? I'm the green ninja!"

"Sorry to disappoint." Jay chuckled. "But there ain't nothing green bout you."

"Stop mess-"

Lloyd's words were stopped by Jay's dirty hand pressing against his half open mouth. "Hush. . . Someone's here. ."

A man stepped out from behind a thick tree. He was dressed in heavy silver armor, his jet black hair almost covering a pair of thick black eyebrows. Behind him, a dozen soldiers stepped out of their own hiding places, each with a loaded crossbow pointed directly at Lloyd and Jay's body.

"Cole." Lloyd stated.

"That's _Sir _Cole to you. " He said. "I didn't spend my whole life training to be a knight so people could call me 'Cole'"

"Now let's see. "He continued. " We've got a petty thief whose bounty doesn't even reach the thousands and the kingdom's most popular traitor. I think King Pythor will be rather pleased."

"_Petty_ thief?" Jay scowled reaching for his nunchucks. "I'll show you. . ."

All the crossbows aimed at Jay. The thief froze, then decided his life was worth more than responding to an insult. Cole stepped forward, snatching the golden weapon for Jay's hand. "Where did you get this?"

"Stole it. "Jay smirked. "Right from under King Pythor's ugly nose."

"I guess your worth more than I thought." The Knight nodded his head towards one of his soldiers. In a few seconds, Lloyd and Jay had thick iron handcuffs around their wrists. With crossbows pointed at his back, Lloyd had no choice but to move forward. His mind was still searching for answers as he was pushed through a medieval looking village, and through the mouth of a monstrous castle.

"You will remain here until King Pythor gives us orders." Sir Cole said, pushing Lloyd and Jay into a dirty jail cell. "Though knowing him, I'd say goodbye to your heads"

The green ninja stared at Cole as he walked away. There was a pounding on his head now. Nothing around him could be explained by logic and this new reality was causing him to feel sick. Maybe it was merely a dream. He leaned back against the cold rock wall. Maybe his world would come back any second now, and he could tell the guys everything and they could laugh about it together.

Lloyd forced his eyes shut then open.

His new reality remained the same.

**(I'd promised not to write anymore fanfictions until I finished the ones I'm currently working with but when this idea hit me, I knew I had to write it. I've never experimented with writing characters in a completely different world so what do you guys think so far? )**


	2. King Pythor

Chapter 2-King Pythor

Lloyd sat against the wall, tuning out most of Jay's pointless blabber. In the past few hours, the green ninja had formulated a small plan to deal with his whale sized problem of having been thrown into what seemed to be different time. Step one, escape from the eerie castle with his head still attached to his body. Step two, find Sensei Wu. If Cole and Jay were in this strange land, even though their memories didn't quite match up with Lloyd's, his uncle should be here as well. And if there was anything Lloyd had learned from his time with the ninjas, it was that Sensei always seemed to know everything.

Maybe he'd know of a way back to Ninjago.

"-So yes, I haven't exactly been in a dungeon _dungeon _before." Jay's voice washed over Lloyd's ears. "But that don't gotta mean I ain't a hardcore thief. If anythin' it means I'm the hardest core of- Hardest core? That even make sense? I mean you know what I mean. Like, the top of all the hardcore thieves. What I'm saying is, it's prettaay nice how I never been caught before. Problem is, my escaping techniques aren't exactly the best in town."

Lloyd sighed. If this was some other dimension, why couldn't he'd have found a Jay who had the capability to be quiet?

"But _But _ I always have a plan. Plans are what us thieves live on. Wait no that's not right… Thieves have to be ready for everything. Improvising. Yeees that's what that's called. Thieves live on improvisin'. And all that means is making plans faster than you can _say _plan. So technically we do rely on plans a lot. Now my plan might get a little crazy, but there's no way I'm lettin' some cuckoo king take my head away! Is mine yah know. Not his. I mean maybe I share half of the ownership with my mama since, you know she baked me in her oven and all, If you catch my drift."

The loud sound of footsteps was what finally caused Jay's voice stop. At least for now.

"You, The traitor!" A bulky, one eyed guard rattled the iron bars of the small dirty cell. " King Pythor demands to see you."

Lloyd slowly sat up, and approached the door. He wondered if it was possible for him to defeat the guard in combat. After spotting the large, razor sharp sword in the man's hands Lloyd decided against it. He didn't know if his powers had traveled along with him, so for now his best option was to play innocent.

The guard pulled him out of the cell with such force that Lloyd feared his arm would pop right off his socket. As the sharp point of the sword forced him to move forward, he looked back at Jay's whose eyes said only one thing.

_You're screwed mate._

With lack of a better thing to do, other than maintaining a fast pace so he wouldn't be impaled by the sharp sword, Lloyd drank every detail of the castle with his emerald green eyes. The walls were golden, the ceiling high above his messy blonde hair. The windows were formed of multicolor glass, creating a gorgeous waterfall of light to wash upon Lloyd as he walked past. All in all, the castle seemed to have erupted right out of a fairy tale book, a think the green ninja's young mind might have enjoyed were he not about to meet his old nemesis and, in a worst possible scenario, lose his head.

The guard stopped upon a wooden door big enough for a dragon to easily walk through. "Don't try anything funny scum, There's more guards here than you could ever count."

Lloyd was pushed forward, causing him to lose his balance and slam face first into the marble floor. He heard the wooden door slam close behind him then a familiar chuckle reached his ears, coming from the front of the room he was in. The green ninja felt chills run up and down his spine as his old fear of Pythor resurfaced.

"Why, Lloyd look at you!" Pythor's voiced said. "You've certainly changed since the last time I saw you."

Lloyd stood up, rubbing his throbbing cheek. Then his eyes found the source of the voice. But it wasn't right. Before him, was a man not a snake. The man's hair was the darkest shade of black, his skin pale and his body somewhat scrawny. But it was the eyes that told Lloyd that the man, the _thing, _before him was, indeed, His childhood enemy. Both eyes were shaded a light purple, filled with bottomless pools of pure evil and hatred.

"I've changed a bit myself haven't I?" Pythor chuckled again, snapping Lloyd back to his senses. "Yes, Yes I had to sacrifice my scaly skin to enter this world."

Pythor's words hit Lloyd right in the gut. _You've certainly changed since the last time I saw you. I had to sacrifice my scaly skin to enter this world. _Unlike Cole and Jay, Pythor _knew _this wasn't their world. He r_emembered _everything. That could only mean one thing.

Lloyd shook his childhood fear of Pythor and spoke up with a loud commanding voice. "You did this didn't you? What is this place?"

"This is my kingdom of course! A land far away from Ninjago's own time, A land in which I can rule." The snake in a man's body tilted his head to the side. " And most of all, this is a land in which I can easily get rid of you."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Vengeance, Revenge, Justice, whatever you please to call it. I sent you to this place so that I can finally defeat you, and in this world, none of your friends are willing to help you." A deep laugh emerged from Pythor's throat. "They don't even know who you are!"

"It doesn't matter Pythor. " Lloyd smiled with more confidence than he felt. "One way or another, I'll find a way back to Ninjago, because guess what? _Good always wins_."

"Perhaps that was true in Ninjago." Pythor's voice was suddenly serious. "But here, my dear boy, _I _make the rules. And I'd like to see you try to stop me without your precious little head."

The color flushed out of Lloyd's face.


	3. Execution

Chapter 3-Execution

"_Guards!_" Pythor's voice boomed around Lloyd.

Dozens of guards stepped into the room surrounding Lloyd, whose knees were feeling extremely weak. His palms began sweating as he began to search for a way out of this new predicament. There was nothing, only an ocean of silver swords waiting menacingly around him. Lloyd's throat clogged up with panic.

"Sir Cole!" Pythor snapped his voice like a whip, sending a shiver through everyone's spines. Cole stepped forward, his brown eyes lowered respectfully. " Arrange the execution. Our escaped traitor won't get away this time. He dies _today _."

"With all due respect your majesty," Cole's head bowed, and his voice shook as he muttered he spoke. "He is but a child, sire. Maybe there's another way to . . . punish him."

Lloyd's green eyes locked into Cole's body. Maybe his old friend didn't have his true memories, but he was still the same person. Loyal, strong, and apparently the only one with enough manhood to stand up to a bloodthirsty king.

"Sir Cole?"

"Yes your majesty?" The knight's voice was strong, but there was a small amount of fear washing upon his tone.

"Do you love your Father?"

"Y-yes, your majesty. ."

"Then I suggest you do as I say," Pythor's smile widened ever so slightly. "Or things could get. . . Messy"

"As you wish your majesty."

Cole stepped back, cursing at his idiotic heroics. What did he care if the boy lived or died? Cole had taken this job in the palace to take care of his father, not get him killed by trying to right every wrong in the kingdom.

The one eyed guard that had brought Lloyd into Pythor's presence grabbed the small blond boy. With a rough, calloused rope the guard bound the green ninja's hands behind his back. The guard chuckled while tightening the rope until Lloyd's wrists began to bleed. "It's been too long since a kid was executed! I hope yeh try to run. Makes it all the more entertainin' "

Lloyd wished for a witty insult to snap at the sick minded guard. But thinking doesn't exactly come easy when you're headed towards your death. Every one of Lloyd's brain cells was either uselessly panicking or planning dramatic, and extremely impossible, escapes.

He passed by the same hallways as before when he was herded out into the castle's courtyard. Yet, with his perspective changed, Lloyd didn't see himself surrounded by fairy-tale -worthy beauty, he only saw the distance between his life and death lessening with every step.

_Biggest regret? Not enough childhood _He sighed _What's the point of having sacrificed so much to be good, if, in the end, it only took one snake to get rid of me?_

The sun outside was stronger now, The soft breeze played with Lloyd's hair as the one eyed guard pulled him back in a harsh manner, causing the rope to dig further into the ninja's wrist. "You gotta wait here,scum. We ain't gunna decapitate without a proper audience."

His eyebrows frowning due to the sunrays shinning intently on his face, Lloyd looked around the courtyard counting the guards in heavy armor. Five. Then he looked up at the guards in light armor, standing upon the castle's gray walls with crossbows ready to fire. Fifteen. The odds weren't in Lloyd's favor at all.

_I can't try spinjitzu with my hands bound. _Lloyd thought, the panic in him increasing _And even if I could there's no way to know if I still have my powers_

_I could do a back kick and knock out the crazy guard behind me_

_Then after than I could. . . Get hit by about 15 arrows_

Lloyd sighed. Was there really no way out?

His luck had been bound to run out sooner or later.

Multiple people began to gather around him. There were woman with extravagant dresses and a rare sense of fashion. Men whose clothes made their shoulders look twice their size. The woman's faces was caked with make-up, making Lloyd wonder if they even owned a mirror to see how ridiculous they looked. The men's hair was long, either pulled back in a tight ponytail or cascading down their gigantic shoulders.

_Well I can die happy knowing I never had to dressed like _that.

A shinning throne was carried out of the castle in the back of two soldiers that were more muscle than man. On it was Pythor, a satisfied smirk glued upon his handsome human features. He cleared his throat and ran his slender hand through his dark hair. "Let us begin."

With a nod from the human serpentine, a young man wearing clothes that caused Lloyd to snicker even in the face of death stepped forward unfurling a small scroll. The young man took a deep breath, his voice resounding throughout the open space. "On this day, The 22nd of November we gather to end the life of Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, A thief, A murderer and A traitor to the Kingdom of Ouroboros."

_Kingdom of Ouroboros_ Lloyd rolled his eyes _Wonder how many brain cells it took to come up with that name_

"Any last words my dear boy?" Pythor's voice slithered into Lloyd's mind.

The green ninja kept quiet, more focused on the strange shadow sneaking down the castle's tower.

"Very well. " Pythor could barely contain himself. Victory _was _the sweetest feeling of them all. "Proceed."

The one-eyed guard kicked Lloyd in the back of the knee, causing him to fall forward. With his hands unable to stop his fall, the green ninja's cheek slammed hard against the ground. The guard pulled up Lloyd by grabbing a handful of his golden hair. A small groan escaped the ninja when the guard placed his head against a wooden platform.

_There's gotta be a way out _He could hear the headsman approaching with a heavy scythe screeching as it was dragged against the cold stone _There's always something_

Lloyd closed his eyes tightly, expecting a flash of pain to explode within him any minute now. The green ninja heard a loud _thud _as a body hit the ground. Goosebumps grew on his cheeks. _Am I dead? AM I DEAD?_

"Stop him!" Pythor shouted with anger resonating in every syllable. Lloyd's eyes snapped open as a heavy arm pulled him back onto his feet. The body of the headsman lay before him, making the green ninja's stomach twist and his throat to tighten. All around him were guards running fast towards Lloyd and his savior. But they were too slow for whoever was dragging him across the courtyard.

One by one the guards began to fall down, Cuts slit open along their hairy throats. The only thing Lloyd's eyes could see was a pair of golden lights, streaming across the open space, killing any guard that approached.

Lloyd's still confounded body was thrown into the back of a wooden carriage. His savior stood beside him. His mouth was covered with a shawl the color of dried blood. "Go! We need to move!"

His savior's voice was familiar. Too familiar. As the passing shadow of an oak tree covered the blinding sun for a couple of seconds, Lloyd spotted a pair of icy blue eyes.


	4. The Night Angel

Chapter 4-The Night Angel

"Zane?" Lloyd asked, barely managing to sit up in the rattling carriage.

Zane tugged down his blood red shawl, revealing a pair of pale thin lips. He studied Lloyd with intense light blue eyes before speaking. "It is an honor to meet you, My prince."

"Prince," Lloyd echoed staring at Zane, almost rolling his emerald green eyes at how cliché things were becoming.

"Yes indeed," Zane bowed deeply, leaving he green ninja to wonder how he could fold his body into a respectful position while Lloyd could barely keep his aching back straight. "Born from the womb of Queen Misako, you carry royal blood within you. After Pythor stole the throne however, he sent you away, so I am not surprise you do not know of your heritage."

"And what are you supposed to be?" Lloyd blurted out, before realizing how incredibly rude he sounded.

"I am merely a servant to the royal family, sworn to protect their lives even if it were to mean my death." Zane responded still looking into Lloyd's young face. The green ninja kept his eyes lowered, due to the fact that the icy blue eyes seemed to be looking straight into his soul, which was rather intimidating. "My job is to assassinate anyone that's a threat to the crown or anyone you command me to."

"How bout Pythor?"

"I'm sorry my prince, but I am afraid he is far too powerful." Zane lowered his gaze, ashamed.

"Right." Lloyd's cheeks were hot and red, being called prince had to be in the top ten awkward things that could ever happen in life.

The carriage stopped. Zane jumped down, his body agile and well-balanced. Lloyd stood with legs shaking, every part of his body numb from the uncomfortable trip. The cloaked person that had been leading the horses across the thick forest nodded at Zane, crimson eyes barely visible under the cloak's shadow, before riding off and fading away into the sinking sun.

"So who was that?" Lloyd skipped forward, fighting to catch up with the assassin's long strides. The forest setting wasn't exactly in the green ninja's side, with the low branches smacking your face and sneaky roots tricking your feet, it was hard to keep up with Zane's quick confident pace.

"No one you should yet worry about."

Zane stopped in front a tree, which looked slightly thicker than the others. Kneeling into the cool earth Zane found a small lever camouflaged as just another muddy root. By pulling it, a hidden door opened into the hollow tree revealing a dark tunnel sliding down into absolute darkness. The air coming from within the tunnel was filled with the stench of blood giving Lloyd's body a slight shiver.

"We're not going down there are we?" He squeaked.

" Of course we are," Zane answered. "That is why I have opened the door"

_I see Zane wasn't changed either _Lloyd smiled at his friend's monotone voice.

"It is the only place safe from Pythor's spies my prince. " Zane motioned towards the tunnel urging Lloyd forward. " You must go first."

Lloyd stepped forward, not sure if he trusted this idea. But he couldn't just remain in the middle of the forest, not with an angered Pythor searching for him, wanting his head on a silver plate. He sat on the wooden surface, the sides of the tunnel ignored personal boundaries and stood uncomfortably close to his body. Lloyd edged forward slowly, eventually falling victim to gravity and sliding down into the unknown.

His accelerating body shot out of the slide, slamming his body against the ground. He groaned, the cuts on his wrists stinging when they made contact with the dirt. He sat up, then widened his eyes when a sharp cold knife was pressed against his throat.

"Who are you?" A soft female voice snapped and the knife was pressed tighter against him.

Lloyd was barely able to gasp the words out, the tightened space between his lungs and his mouth causing his voice to come out in a comic wheeze. "Lloyd Garmadon!"

"You got a middle name boy?"

"Agh. . . Montgomery!"

The knife left his throat and the green ninja was spiraled around to face a brown eyed girl with unmistakable black hair. Nya smiled at Lloyd. " So it's true then. . . Guys the Night Angel was right! Our prince lives!"

From the shadows emerged two men, one with dirty blonde hair than resembled Lloyd's and the other surprisingly bright orange hair. They looked Lloyd up and down, causing the green ninja's cheek to become red once more.

"I'd reckoned he'd be. . . Taller no?" The one with orange hair spoke in a low raspy voice.

The blonde haired leaned close to Lloyd's face all regards towards personal space ignored. "Well he does have the royal green eyes."

With a soft _thud _and a respectable landing, Zane appeared beside Lloyd. "It is disrespectful to study someone without being allowed brothers."

With a sharp look from Zane's cold blue eyes both men stepped back, bowing slightly. "Our apologies Night Angel."

Zane turned towards Lloyd, whose face was still lit up with embarrassment. "I apologize for their behavior my prince."

"It's Lloyd." The green ninja muttered. "Please just call me Lloyd."

"Very well, Lloyd it is. "Zane nodded. "This is our brother Drake."

The orange haired assassin nodded towards Lloyd.

"He is an expert of the bow, able to assassinate anyone with one clean shot." He continued, then gestured towards the man with the blonde hair. "And this is our brother Logan, a master in the art of poisoning."

"And this is our only sister, Nya whose sharp mind never disappoints." Finally Zane was forced to point at himself. "I carry the title of Night Angel, which simply means I must always lead my brothers and sisters down the true path. For many years we rendered useless in the shadows, but now that you, Prince Lloyd, have returned, we shall be able to bring the dark brotherhood back into power."

"Wait what?" Lloyd looked at Zane, trying to keep up with the spoonful of information being fed to him.

Nya stepped forward, her small dagger glinting in the torchlight. "We're taking the kingdom back"


	5. The man, The demon, and the sword

Chapter 5-The man, the demon, and the sword

The brown haired man laid his head against the cold stone wall. The room around him was soaked in darkness, the only sliver of sunlight coming from miniscule cracks along the ceiling of the man's prison. He listened to the beat of his heart, wondering why his body insisted on functioning when all his mind wanted was death. His life wasn't a life anymore, not since his free will had been ripped from him. Now he was no more than a puppet, his body and heart controlled by alien hands.

And all because of a man his sister had loved.

His life had been normal, up to the day his sister came home with eyes a little brighter and cheeks a little redder. Though the man had never been in love himself, he knew the look well from the blurred times in his childhood in which he remember how well his parent's had worked together.

"You met a boy didn't you?" He sighed, wiping away the sweat that was forming as he molded shapeless metal into a sword.

His sister smiled mischievously. "Maybe."

"Tell me,"

"Oh Kai he's wonderful!" His sister exclaimed, giggles bubbling up from her throat. "His eyes are the color of the sky and his smile is. . . I can't even describe it!"

Kai was caught between a frown and a smile. He still thought his sister was too young, but he hadn't seen her glowing with happiness ever since they had been orphaned. "Blue eyes? So he's not from here is he?"

"I suppose not." In the kingdom, eyes were only either brown or crimson, so it was fairly easy to spot someone from another land. " He lives in the Warrens, so it's no surprise we hadn't seen him around the village, but I think he mentioned something about his parents coming here from somewhere else."

"Nya," Kai sighed, his brotherly instinct winning over wanting to see his sister happy. " You know people from the Warrens are no good."

The Warrens were located far behind the village, with small muddy houses and a permanent stink in the air, only the scum of the kingdom lived there. When you grew up in the Warrens you either became a criminal or you died, so Kai couldn't bear the thought of Nya having anything to do with someone who lived among the lowest of the low.

But Kai had fallen for his sisters sweet, begging eyes ,and he had allowed the relationship to grow. And now he was paying the price. His sister was somewhere in the village, heart shattered to pieces and he was here, chained to a stone wall, obeying the orders of a man he hated.

Footsteps rumbled through the stone snapping Kai back into reality.

"Hello Kai," The King's voice reached the prisoner's ears. It was soothing, with a slight accent hiding upon each syllable. And it caused Kai's blood to boil in extreme hate.

Kai stared through the bars of his cell, his pained crimson eyes making contact with a pair of cold purple eyes. Purple eyes that were empty, purple eyes that enjoyed watching other's suffering more than anything. In the hands of the king, entwined within his long slender fingers, was a golden sword. The sword that had caused all of Kai's troubles. The sword that could turn him into something he was not.

"I have a little job for you again, my dear boy." Pythor smiled, the sword in his hand beginning to glow. "There's someone I need to get rid of."

Kai tried to keep quiet, but a groan escaped his lips as the power of the sword began to wrap itself around Kai's will. He could feel his mind slowly becoming insane with power, he could feel his hands twitching violently, but most of all, he could feel his mouth aching for the taste of blood.

"He's a boy."Pythor continued taking control of the man's body. "Blonde hair and bright green eyes."

_No! _Kai thought _I can't kill again. I don't want to kill again._

_Oh but you must _The power of the sword commanded. Kai felt his vision begin to blur. He was losing consciousness, losing control, losing everything. He would become a weapon. A force that would only stop once it tasted its target's blood.

Kai heard the door of his cell squeak open, just before he was blocked out of his own body. Pythor smiled as the man began to change, compelled by the power of the golden sword. His arms grew larger, All the better to strangle with. His legs grew longer, all the better to run with. His ears resembled a wolf's ears, all the better to hear with. His eyes grew bigger, all the better to see with. His teeth grew sharper.

All the better to eat his prey with.


	6. The thief

Chapter 6-The Thief

James Jay Walker pressed his face against the cold metal bars spread across the lone window in his cell. Through it, his blue eyes could see across the castle's courtyard. At first, when it seemed that King Pythor would finally succeed on separating his friend's head from his young body, Jay wasted his breath muttering nervously.

Then the shadow appeared.

Jay was sure he spotted it before anyone did. He saw the shadow slithering down the tower, its body edging along the rocky wall. Then it began to extinguish the lives of the guards that stood along the wall. Their bodies fell out of Jay's sight one by one. The shadow killed with no mercy and incredible speed.

"Night angel," Jay whispered using his shaking arms to pull himself harder against the barred window. He'd merely heard stories of him, a walking shadow who could assassinate a roomful of his enemies in the blink of an eye. Jay had never believed in his existence, passing it off as legends that his mother had dug up to keep his childish wonder beating in his young heart. And the thief hadn't been wrong either. There was no way anything other than a legend could do what the Night Angel was doing.

Before the shadow hit the ground, a flicker of golden light slashed open the thick neck of the headsman, seconds before his rusty scythe beheaded the green eyed outlaw.

That's when Jay understood. This was a rescue.

"Hey! Hey little guy! Your original rescuer is still trapped here!" Jay shouted smacking the palms of his hands against the cold metal. The clanking of the guard's heavy chainmail counterattacked Jay's voice and no one seemed to hear him. "What was your name. . . what was your name. . . Floyd! Moyd? Boy! Oh come on you ninny you ain't gonna leave me here!"

But the boy didn't hear him and the assassin didn't care. In a few seconds, they had both climbed up the wall hurtling face first into freedom, while Jay dropped his body back against the stone floor.

"How lovely, now it's just you and your shadow." He sighed. He didn't belong within stone walls.

_That's just karma catching up to you_

It was true. No less than a year ago he'd put someone behind bars to save his own cowardly skin. And he's hurt the only person his heart desired in the process. He remembered every detail of her angelic face. The soft black hair. The sweet brown eyes. Her perfectly shaped lips, that always curved into a gorgeous smile when she spotted Jay.

She'd been the only light in his world. The only reason he awakened in the morning. And he'd ruined her. He'd broken her with his greedy mistakes.

That's why Jay had to get out. He had to find his princess. He had to build her a whole new world to replace the one he'd destroyed.

"C'mon James Jay Walker it's time for your sorry butt to get out of this place." He rummaged through all his pockets, until he came up with two small metal sticks. One of them resembled a needle, only difference being that it was thicker and made of a stronger material. The other ended in a sharp hook, its edges rusting with age.

Placing the metal instruments inside of the cell's lock, Jay maneuvered his hands carefully, focusing only on how the lock felt. After an arduous and nerve-racking process, the cell opened up to Jay's gentle hands at long last. The rusty hinges swung open. The creaking sound echoed up and down the dark hallway. The thief cringed into the shadow's open arms. There he waited. One. Two. Three minutes, knowing that one misplaced sound would send a wave of guards crashing down upon him.

When no one came to investigate the sound of Jay's cell opening, the thief crawled forward, keeping his body in the shadows. It wasn't nearly as amazing as what the Night Angel could accomplish. But for someone who didn't have any legendary powers it was still impressive.

"If the king hears you talking like that you're gonna be next on the line for neck shortenin'," A rough voice entered through the hall .

"At this point I wouldn't mind that one bit." Another voice answered. It was familiar. Jay inched closer. Standing in the well-lit hallway was the black haired knight that had thrown him into the dungeon accompanied by the one-eyed guard that had roughly taken Lloyd to the king. "Ever since the Garmadon's lost the throne this city has been going down the sewers. Beheading a child? I don't care if Pythor lost most of his guards to that assassin. I'm glad he rescued the kid."

The one-eyed soldier laughed. " Yeh've always been a milk-drinker Cole, all that talk of honor and chivalry ain't gun get you nowhere in this place."

The thief bit his lip. The guards were distracted. The door was less than a few feet away. But there were no shadows to keep him safe.

"That's the problem Ghorky," Ghorky? Jay almost laughed out loud. "You know there's nothing left in a kingdom if an honest man can't make a living."

"Go ahead then, Why don't you be the king if you think you'd be so good at it?"

Both of the knights had thick armor. That would make them slow. Both of them had double-handed weapons. They'd be even slower. There were no bows. Jay could make a run for it.

"I am not saying I wish to be king. . ." Cole shook away images of him wearing the golden Ouroboro's crown on his jet black hair. He had been born to serve others. He was no more than a pawn to be used. He had to remember that. "I am merely stating that Pythor has never been worthy of that crown."

"He keeps the coins rollin' my way so I don't really mind"

_Alright Jay. . on three. . ._

_One_

His body tensed. Those swords looked awfully sharp

_Two_

Was the exit getting further away?

_Three!_

Jay sprung from the shadows , shooting his lean body towards the dungeon's exit.


	7. Someone Wiser

Chapter 7-Someone wiser

Nya laid multiple maps upon a wooden table. They seemed to be a crude representation of the land, though Lloyd couldn't decipher most of the symbols scribbled in the aging parchment. As she spoke, the green ninja's eyes wondered around the room. With only weak ,flickers, of torchlight to illuminate the chamber, the walls looked extremely menacing. The smell of blood had found a resting place in the room's air supply and Lloyd's mind couldn't even begin to wonder what kind of tortures could be done with the instruments placed carelessly around the room.

"He's not even listening to us," Nya growled slamming her dagger against the table, snapping Lloyd's attention back to where it should have been. "Why do I bother?"

" Relax Nya, He's just a kid." Logan, his blonde hair swooping over his eyes, responded.

The fire ,pulsating, from Nya's eyes held Lloyd back from pointing out that he was not, in fact, a kid. He had to bite down the inside of his cheek, because it bothered Lloyd more than anything that even after being forced to grow older, the youngest ninja was still treated as no more than a child.

"Exactly a _kid_. How's he going to help us win this? He's utterly useless!"

"Nya. ." Zane's voice, soft and calculated, warned her. "He is the prince, You will show him respect."

The female assassin bowed her head. "Yes Night Angel. . ."

"Now," The Night Angel stepped forward, his figure emanating authority, forcing Lloyd's mind to stay focused. " I agree in Nya's point of view, if we infiltrate the castle, perhaps even gain the King's trust, it will be easier to bring the kingdom back into our power."

"But that plan has far too many risks," He continued, and Nya had to stare intently at the ground to prevent her eyes from rolling. " I believe we must trust in the people to overthrow the king. We must go to the villages surrounding the castle, show The Prince to the people and raise their spirits. Pythor's army might be powerful, but the people of Ouroboros outnumber it a hundred to one."

"That won't really work will it?" Lloyd frowned, staring intently at the map of the castle. His face drowned in red once he realized that he'd actually muttered the words aloud. Everyone's eyes stood upon his face. No one had ever disagreed with the Night Angel.

"What do you propose, your majesty?" Zane's voice revealed no emotion. He simply examined Lloyd, studying his every move.

The green ninja's face grew redder. "Well. . . I mean, sending a bunch of peasants that don't know how to fight against a well-organized army? It'd be a bloodbath."

"But we'd outnumber Pythor," Drake looked down at Lloyd, his spiked up orange hair matching the torches' fire.

"Numbers.. Numbers aren't everything," The green ninja's voice grew slightly more confident as he remembered Cole's teachings about battle. "It's all about strategy. L-look at the walls surrounding the castle. Archers could shoot down most of the people. . . Right? We would never get through."

Zane looked down at the sketch of Ouroboro's castle. The towers and walls surrounding it were strategically placed so that the area would be impossible to penetrate. "Our Prince is right. We need the people to support us, but we cannot ask them to lay down their lives."

"So what now? We aren't going to sit still now that we have the prince are we?" Logan looked up at the Night Angel, whose eyes had a far away look of wrestling his thoughts to come up with an answer to the predicament King Pythor created.

"We consult someone wiser than I," The Night Angel responded, eyes glinting with memories of old.


	8. A friend

Chapter 8-A friend

Cole spotted Jay seconds before the thief decided to make a break for it. The guard's brain however, had to take a few seconds to actually process what he'd just witnessed. By the time he figured out that one of his prisoners was escaping, Jay had made it past the door.

"It's that thief!," Cole sprung up, his two-handed iron sword unsheathed in seconds. He ran out the door, gaining speed as if the heavy armor weighed nothing.

Jay cursed under his breath. The annoying guard was catching up and his lungs were already burning. Being a thief, he'd always focused on stealth not endurance. It was a wonder he'd even made it through the first hallway before Cole's rough hand slammed him back against the wall.

Cole smirked. " You're so pathetic, how did you even become a thief like _seriously _?"

"Hey hey careful with the self-esteem there," Jay chuckled nervously. He was in a deep pile of doo doo now.

"Well a good thief wouldn't have gotten caught," Cole pressed the blue-eyed guy harder against the wall. " And you got caught. Twice."

"A good guard wouldn't speak bad about the king, mmm?" Jay wiggled his eyebrow slightly .

The 'good' guard relaxed his grip. " Touché,"

"Not that I don't agree, I mean, I agree whole heartedly. Even whole brainedly. Is that even a word? Well if it wasn't it is now. Anyway, I mean King Pythor is the one that got me into this whole stealing business. His dumb, stinky, ugly taxes have my family starving. Not pretty that sight. Only way I can keep food on the table is like this."

Cole stepped back, sliding his sword back into its leather scabbard. Call it idiocy or compassion, perhaps both, but Cole couldn't throw this man behind bars. He was only doing this for his family. Cole thought of his own father, living happily in the castle, not knowing he was a hostage in Pythor's hands to ensure that Cole would follow all orders blindly.

"I know what you mean," Cole sighed, Defeated. " I only work for the King to keep my _own _family safe."

"So. . . You're letting me go,"

"Yes," The dark-haired man reached into his armor, pulling out a small worn out bag filled with a couple of coins. " Take this. Lay low for a while. I catch you again and I can't help you."

Jay examined the contents of the bag. "_Barking spiders!_ I could feed an army with this money!"

"Shhh!" Cole slammed his suntanned hand against Jay's loud mouth. "Just get out,"

"Wait," Jay pocketed the money and turned back to his new found friend. " If there's an uprising, could we count on you to be on our side?"

"Uprising? What are you talking about..?"

"You know that boy you caught me with? The one that got rescued by the Night Angel? He. . . Had. . ." The fair-skinned thief paused for effect. " _Green _eyes."

Cole blinked. Green? As in _royal _green? His throat grew dry and his hands shook. That could change everything. His father would be safe. His sword would never have to touch innocent blood again. Yet, if the uprising failed, Cole would be labeled as a traitor. His father would be killed before his eyes. And he would probably be tortured until Pythor grew tired of it.

"So. . . are you in or not?" Jay started walking backwards, ready to spring out of the castle. " I know the Night Angel. I mean _not _the Night Angel but someone who knows him. We're friends. Well not friends _friends _. She kinda hates my guts. What I mean is, I'll know if anything happens and if anything happens we'll need a spy , god I love that word it sounds so. . . manly, to keep an eye on the King. You do that you'd make things way easier."

Yes or no yes or no? Cole bit his lip. He was no hero, he was too terrified of his dad getting hurt. Yet if he didn't help, more and more families would start suffering every day. ". . . Anything happens, I'm in. I'm tired of this King."


	9. Hunting grounds

Chapter 9-Hunting Grounds

The giant wolf breathed in. His prey's scent was washed upon the earth, revealing a path into the woods. The wolf followed, his mouth watering at the promise of flesh and blood. His paws made no sound as they fell onto the ground, As if he were a ghost, gliding along, inching closer toward his target.

Not too far away from the big bad wolf, Lloyd emerged from the assassin's hideout. Zane was taking them to Ouroboro's village, were they would consult someone to figure out how to get the kingdom back into the light. The green ninja had a slight idea as to who this 'wise man' would turn out to be.

The hairy threat grew closer. Inside of the wolf's mind, Kai's soul was dormant. He had no control over the bloodlust taking over the demon's body. He had no way to stop the misery that the holder of the sword of fire would bring. The sword's demon would only be placated when he tasted the thick, warm blood of his young prey.

"How far is the village?" Lloyd trudged forward, ignorant of the fate that awaited him. His guard was down, his muscles relaxed.

Closer still. The wolf broke into a run. His taste buds were pulsing. He could taste his prey in the air.

"It is not very far my prince," Zane walked forward. He was followed closely by Nya, whose mind and heart had broken into a violent turmoil as she thought of returning to the place where she and her brother had been raised. She feared the memories that would be unearthed when she stepped into her childhood home. She feared seeing a certain pair of chaotic blue eyes.

A pair of blue eyes that Nya still loved.

Anger. Jealousy. Grief. Bitterness. All the negative feelings that fueled Kai's heart gave the demon more strength. The wolf slowed, surveying the scene before him. He could see his target, walking nonchalantly forward, looking deliciously vulnerable.

"Wait," Zane held out a hand, forcing everyone to a sudden halt. The Night Angel looked around the forest, sensing a threat. "There is someone watching us. . . Or perhaps it is some_thing_."

"I don't see-" Lloyd's sentence was cut short when, out of the dark shadows, a gigantic wolf appeared. A low growl rose up from the beast's throat.

"Nya, Logan, Drake, protect the prince _at all cost_." Zane watched the wolf closely, studying its muscles, mapping out its vital organs.

For a mere second, fear got to best of Lloyd. He stepped back, putting all his weight on his left foot. Beneath his weight a branch snapped. The sudden sound broke through the tension that had held everyone in place. The wolf's ears twitched and he lunged towards Ouroboro's prince.

Lloyd fell back, his hands rising up protectively to his face. The wolf managed only to slash its sharp claws through the green ninja's arms before Zane kicked its furry side, sending it flying back against a tree.

In the tips of his pale fingertips, The Night Angel held his golden shurikans. He eyed the beast dangerously, daring it to attack once more. The wolf stood, pacing back and forth, the loud growl never leaving its throat. Lloyd clutched his arm close, feeling the warm blood trickle down his suit.

Once more, the wolf lunged forward. Zane threw both his shurikans, aiming for the creatures legs. The animal kept running forward however, driven by a force that cared not about physical pain. Zane willed the pair of shurikans back into his hands, then threw them once more, this time channeling the elemental power of the golden weapons. The night angel created a thick ice barrier between the prince and the wolf.

The demon , now angered, broke through the barrier of ice. It slammed its heavy paws on the ground creating a circle of flames around itself and Lloyd's body.

"Fire?" Nya's heart pounded violently.

"That is most definitely _not _a normal wolf," Drake muttered while placing a silver arrow on his hand made bow.

"You can not miss this shot," Zane stood over his assassin's while his golden shurikans tried to destroy the fire. " His majesty's life depends on it."

Drake aimed. The squeak of the tightened bowstring caught Nya's attention. With a swift kick, she caused Drake's fingers to slip at the wrong position, the arrow flying way past its target. "You can't hurt the wolf!"

"Nya! What is wrong with you?" The Night Angel shouted, his blue eyes boring down into Nya's eyes.

"That's my _brother_."

Lloyd could hear nothing over the roar of the flames. His skin was soaked with his own salty sweat as the heat grew around him.

The wolf stood over Lloyd, feeling the helplessness of his prey. The moment of the kill was so close, so inevitable, that the demon decided to enjoy every second of it. The pounding of the young heart, the fear glowing out of his eyes.

"Stay back. . ." Lloyd voice shook as he tried to find a way out of this predicament. There was nothing however, as he was cornered between sharp fangs and infernal fire.

The wolf leaned down, breathing down on Lloyd.

The green ninja kicked the demon back. The demon caught the ninja's leg between his teeth, biting down into the muscle, blood flowing into the demon's mouth. At the taste of blood, Kai's soul awakened.

The soul of the demon and the soul of the man fought for control. One, filled with greed, wanted to devour the prey before it. The other, filled with grief, wanted the flow of innocent blood to stop.

Lloyd crawled back, his leg throbbing, as the fire around him began to die out and the beast before him changed into a man.

"Kai!" Nya's voice came from behind him. The girl ran forward, wanting to embrace her brother.

"Don't. . .," Kai's voice was raspy and tired. With shaking legs he stepped backwards. "Don't get too close. . ."

"Kai. . .," This time Nya's voice was more of a sigh, as the pain inside her chest grew with each heartbeat.

"I'm sorry." The man ruled by a fiery blade whimpered, before running back to the castle where his scaly master awaited.


End file.
